Diet and Health
Senior 3 · English
Diet and Health
Lesson 2 of 5
25 min
Let's begin
Knowing what a balanced diet is and actually eating one are two different things. In this lesson two members of a school Health Club question classmates at break time about what they really eat. Then you practise the hardest part: giving advice that a friend will accept instead of ignore.
Important
Listening script: Break-Time Survey, for five readers
Only the readers open the script; the class listens with books closed. About three minutes. The school and the speakers are imagined.
TETA: Excuse me, we're from the Health Club. Could we ask you a few quick questions about what you eat? It's anonymous.
FABRICE: As long as it's quick. The bell goes in ten minutes.
BRUNO: Did you have breakfast this morning?
FABRICE: No. I never do. I leave home at six, and there's no time. I buy two mandazi and a soda at break instead.
TETA: Every day?
FABRICE: Most days. By eleven o'clock I'm starving, and by the maths lesson I can hardly keep my eyes open. But that's normal, isn't it?
BRUNO: Thanks, Fabrice. … Divine, what about you?
DIVINE: My mother makes sorghum porridge before we leave, so I always eat that. And I carry a banana or an avocado for break. I'm not hungry until lunch.
TETA: How much water do you drink in a day?
DIVINE: Four or five glasses. I bring a bottle and fill it at the tap in the dining hall.
BRUNO: Cyusa, last one. How many glasses of water do you drink?
CYUSA: Water? Hardly any. I don't like the taste. I drink juice from the canteen, the one in the yellow packet. It's fruit, so it's healthy.
TETA: And vegetables?
CYUSA: Only when my grandmother makes isombe. Maybe twice a week.
BRUNO: Thanks, everyone. … Nurse, you heard all that. What do you think?
NURSE MUKARUGWIZA: I think your survey has found three very common habits. Fabrice is running on empty: a body that has had nothing since supper can't concentrate at nine in the morning, and mandazi and a soda give a quick rise in energy and then a fall. Divine is doing well. And Cyusa has made a very common mistake. Packet juice is usually mostly sugar and water. The fruit on the picture is not the fruit in the drink. If he swapped one packet a day for water and a real orange, he'd notice the difference within a few weeks.
TETA: Thank you, Nurse.
Copy and complete the survey grid.
| Student | Breakfast | At break | Drinks | Problem the nurse notices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fabrice | … | … | … | … |
| Divine | … | … | … | … |
| Cyusa | — | — | … | … |
Grid: Fabrice: no breakfast; two mandazi and a soda; soda; running on empty, a quick rise and fall in energy. Divine: sorghum porridge; a banana or an avocado; four or five glasses of water; she is doing well. Cyusa: packet juice and hardly any water; he thinks packet juice is fruit, but it is mostly sugar and water.
Definition
eating habits: the way a person usually eats: what, when, how much and how regularly.
anonymous (adj): without a name, so that nobody knows who gave an answer.
run on empty (idiom): to keep going without the energy or fuel you need. Without breakfast, Fabrice is running on empty.
| Strength | Giving advice | Example |
|---|---|---|
| gentle suggestion | Why don't you …? · How about + -ing …? · You could … | How about bringing a banana for break? |
| advice | You should / shouldn't … · You ought to … · It's a good idea to … | You ought to drink more water. |
| personal advice | If I were you, I'd … | If I were you, I'd eat something before leaving home. |
| strong advice, with a warning | You'd (had) better …, or … | You'd better eat breakfast, or you'll fall asleep in the exam. |
| Responding | Example |
|---|---|
| accepting | That's a good idea. I'll try it tomorrow. |
| accepting with a problem | I'd like to, but I leave at six. What could I eat quickly? |
| declining politely | Thanks, but I don't think that would work for me, because … |
Role-play. In threes: one of you is the nurse, one is Fabrice or Cyusa, and one observes. The nurse gives at least three pieces of advice of different strengths; the student responds to each. The observer notes which advice the student accepted, and why.
Group discussion. "How can our school help students eat better?" Each group agrees on three proposals, each starting with a different phrase from the table, and presents them to the class.
Worked example
Advice that a friend will accept
Problem: Fabrice leaves home at six and eats nothing until break.
Compare: "You eat badly. You should change." The words are advice, but nothing in them helps Fabrice act.
Tip
One habit at a time. People rarely change everything at once. Advice that names one small swap ("water instead of one soda") is accepted far more often than advice that condemns a whole diet.
Warning
Modals of advice: should, ought to, had better and must, from Oxford English Now (about 5 minutes). Note the difference the presenter makes between should and had better, then use each one in advice for Cyusa.
Practice
Sources and credits
Written by Ganzaa, except the photo credited above. This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
